The First Ever Music Pinball Machine for an Italian Artist
- Jason
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
So In was sitting on my couch before, relaxing and trying to stay cool before my son's lacrosse tournament in 90 degree plus heat this afternoon and I hopped onto Facebook. There I saw a very short Live video from the Italian pinball company Pedretti Gaming.
It's very seldom these days that I see a pinball machine and say, "What game is that?" Well, surprise...that's exactly what happened. The Live video showed a tent at a festival, absolutely filled with a game that I have never seen before. So I put on my detective cap and found an article on the new game. Apparently Pedretti build a Limited Series of 10 pinball machines that was commissioned by the famous Italian musician Luciano Ligabue. The game's playfield appears to be based on the layout for the 2022 Pinball Brothers game, Queen.
I translated the article on the game from Italian to English and have included a link to the original below.
"Ligabue gets the first pinball machine dedicated to an Italian artist: produced in Bagnatica for the 30th anniversary of “Certe Notti” photo gallery
EuroPinball Corp has the task of producing the iconic game object that will be placed in the fan area of the Campovolo and Reggia di Caserta concerts, dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of the release of one of the most famous hits by the rocker from Correggio
Iron Maiden, Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin. And Abba, Queen, Beatles, Guns 'N Roses, Rolling Stones... There are many international bands that, in addition to their musical successes, can boast of having become the protagonists of a pinball machine dedicated to them, with sound effects and jingles that recall the most famous songs.
An honor that, despite the spread of the game between the '70s, '80s and '90s, has never touched any Italian artist.
Until now.
Because Luciano Ligabue will break down the taboo, soon to return to the stage for two major events dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of the release of one of his greatest hits, Certe Notti. The rocker from Correggio will be at Campovolo in Reggio Emilia on June 21 for “La Notte di Certe Notti”, a concert that will be repeated on September 6 at the Reggia di Caserta.
And it is precisely in a special stand in the fans area of the Emilian town that the first 10 examples of the pinball machines that the singer and his staff have commissioned from EuroPinball Corp of Bagnatica, the largest European manufacturing company in the sector, will be positioned: "We will also be at those events to be able to install and start everything up correctly - explain Andrea Di Molfetta, production manager, and the CEO Marco Pedretti - The second batch, of the same number of examples, will instead be destined for Caserta. Overall, around 150,000 people are expected, to whom the singer and his entourage have decided to make this exclusive surprise available".
The pinball machines will feature his most famous songs, chosen by Ligabue himself, who in recent weeks also visited the company in via Martin Luther King to view the finished product and shoot some footage.
“We are very proud to have been chosen for the first pinball machine dedicated to an Italian artist – the top management of EuroPinball Corp continues – Luciano and his brother Marco are passionate about pinball, so much so that they have some of their own in the studio: the idea came from them. We supported Luciano’s team in developing the graphic design and gameplay. The fact of having been recognized by an artist of this caliber, for having a Made in Italy product, is certainly stimulating: the target market is obviously internal and it is a great first step”.
The official collaboration has allowed for a development characterized by authentic licensing and faithful integration of artwork (created by Paolo De Francesco), music and thematic references taken from the artist’s repertoire. The design was focused on fun, using Ligabue's iconic songs to create missions and modes designed to offer the player the maximum balance between challenge and accessibility.
Each pinball machine will be produced in a numbered series and autographed by Ligabue himself."
A Ligabue il primo flipper dedicato a un artista italiano: prodotto a Bagnatica per i 30 anni di “Certe Notti”
